Blood Stains Don't Come Out
by daffodilsandstarships
Summary: Harper has spent years looking for her father and her search has finally come to an end. But the question remains, how will Jack Harkness deal with his estranged daughter appearing out of the blue? And how will Harper deal with seeing her father for the first time in fourteen years? Beta credit goes to thereadingturtle (thanks for being a bro and reading my things)
1. One story's end is another's beginning

Author's Note: So the idea for this story sort of came out of my earlier story "Sometimes You Can't Forget" and while it is not completely essential to read it before reading this story, I've been told that reading it clears things up about the plot. So with that said, I highly recommend that you check it out (either before or after reading this): s/9752923/1/Sometimes-You-Can-t-Forget

* * *

It was late, really late but Harper wasn't leaving. She stood at the waterfront of Cardiff Bay, waiting for something to happen. She had a feeling about this place, a feeling that this was where her search would finally end. That this was where she would find her father. She looked out onto the water, her heart pounding in anticipation. Finally she heard a door open and she turned sharply to look behind her. She let out a sigh of slight disappointment when she saw that it wasn't her father. Instead it was some man in a suit, the real serious looking type.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Well I don't know, can you?" Harper responded, "I'm looking for a Jack Harkness. You know him?"

The man paused for a second, as though he was unsure what to say. As if it was unsafe to tell her if he knew anything, "who's asking?"

"His daughter."

There was a long silence. The man looked at her, shocked. Harper cocked her head, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. She had never been able to read people like her mother had. That was one thing she hadn't inherited.

"Come with me," the man said, leading her towards the door.

This was it. This was happening. If Harper was being completely honest then she would have had to admit that she was nervous but that wasn't her style. She wasn't one to let her guard down. She took a deep breath and walked through the door, trying to keep herself from shaking or at least to keep it under control. _Keep it together Harper _she told herself, as she was lead into an elevator then through a large moving door that resembled a gear. Through that door it was nothing like what she had expected. She looked around at all the various pieces of machinery and other things that she couldn't even identify. Sure she had done her research on Torchwood. She knew exactly what her father did. She knew that he was the head of Torchwood Three and she knew what Torchwood was, she just hadn't really been expecting something so….huge. Harper found herself stuck in a sort of trance as she took in her surroundings. She was taken out of it by a familiar voice. A voice that she hadn't heard in a long time.

"I didn't realize we were having a visitor," it was Jack Harkness, Harper's father.

"She was standing outside the hub for hours. I went to see if she wanted something and…" the man who had brought her in trailed off. Harper opened her mouth to finish his sentence but the man continued, "she says she's your daughter."

Jack's smile faded. Harper could feel her heart pounding. This was the moment of truth. Jack looked over at Harper and paused. She just stared at him, eyes wide, blank expression. He seemed to be noticing something in her. Was it that she looked like her mother? People had always commented on her resemblance to her mother.

"What's your name?" Jack asked. He seemed to be almost as nervous as her, trying to keep it together just like her.

"Harper Sylano," she said, "Well, Harper Margueritte Adysson Sylano if you want to get technical but Harper's good enough."

"Your mother is Anna Sylano, right?" Jack looked completely stunned, as though he hadn't ever expected to see Harper, "and you'd be twenty two years old."

Harper nodded.

"You look…so much like her," Jack commented, seemingly entranced by her presence.

"And you, you haven't changed a bit," Harper replied, "Not like I expected you to change. Mom told me all about your…deal or whatever it is. I didn't believe it at first but eventually I did my research and sure enough she was right." Somehow Harper was able to talk freely around her father. She had been so nervous about meeting him and could still feel herself shaking a little bit but somehow the words just managed to come out. It was as though she was trying to cover for her nerves but wasn't even conscious of it.

"Your accent," Jack continued, "it's Welsh."

"Well I was born and raised here wasn't I?" Harper said, "Last time I checked, accents weren't inherited and somehow I don't think my mother would send me to an American school just so that I could sound like my parents."

A smile started to form on Jack's face, "you're definitely your mother's daughter," he said, "come on, we'll talk more in my office." He motioned for Harper to follow him, "Ianto, can you bring me some coffee?"

Ianto, the man in the suit, nodded.

"Harper, you want anything?" Jack asked.

"I could go for a macchiato," Harper replied, "If you can make that of course."

"Sure," Ianto said, then went to go make the coffees.

"Come on," Jack said, "We've got a lot to talk about."


	2. So Much to Say but No Words to Say it

"Sit down."

Harper was pulled out of her state of disbelief as her father told her to take a seat. She moved toward the chair across from Jack and sat down.

"So how's your mother?" Jack asked.

"She's doing alright," Harper answered, "She's working for the U.N. again, Economic and Social Council this time."

Jack nodded as silence fell between father and daughter. Neither of them knew what to say. What did one say after being estranged for so long? There was so much to talk about and they both knew it but neither of them knew what to say. The silence was so heavy that even when Ianto came in with their coffees, he didn't even bother to say anything. He just left them on the desk and made his exit.

This time it was Harper who broke the silence, "I got your gifts by the way," she said, "Well, all the ones up to my nineteenth at least. You see, Mum tried to hide them from me. Thought I'd ask too many questions, but I found them anyways. Once I moved out I didn't get them anymore. I figure Mum's still hiding them but thanks anyways. The microwave came in handy once I got my own place."

Jack couldn't help but smile. He was amazed that his daughter wasn't ready to kill him after he'd abandoned her and her mother not only once but twice, "I'm sorry," he said, "For leaving. The first time I was scared and the second time…" he trailed off, "I thought you'd both be better off without me."

For some reason Harper had never been able to stay mad at him. She tried hating her father when she was about twelve or thirteen but somehow it just didn't work. Instead she spent her life trying to find out all she could about her mysterious father or trying to get his attention. She felt like she should be furious at him. Hell, he left her mother then came back six years later, then left again after two more. Harper had been too young to understand but her mother never seemed overly bitter about the whole thing. At least she hadn't been around Harper. It was strange. The whole thing was strange. "I'm just happy that I found you," Harper said, "you have no idea how long I've spent trying to find you. So much of my life spent trying to get your attention somehow. I was such an overachiever in school. I thought that maybe if I did well enough that you'd find out and at least make contact with me. Obviously it didn't work but I guess at least I got an International Baccalaureate and a free History degree." Okay maybe there was a hint of bitterness in her tone but Jack had to expect that. Harper was finally realizing, now that she'd found him that in fact she did have some bitter feelings towards him. It made sense in a way. Yet at the same time it was all new and it worried her a bit.

Jack wondered if he should have kept tabs on her after all. He had tried to keep his distance as a way to stop himself from going back again but all those years he had wondered what both Harper and Anna were up to, "an overachiever," he repeated, "just like your mother."

Harper nodded and half smiled, "yup, I guess I sort of followed in her footsteps to a point. Up until I decided to study history. Then figured out that the degree had no value and went back to study architecture. Mum says that I'm pretty damn lucky I got that free ride for my history degree or else she wouldn't be paying for this one."

"I'm sure she's proud of you," Jack said, "I am."

Harper looked up at Jack, stunned. She'd only just met her father for the first time in fourteen years and already he was telling her that he was proud of her. For a second she felt tears of joy welling up in her eyes but she held them in. She was not going to have a sentimental family reunion moment. Not yet. "You mean that?" she said, her voice breaking slightly.

Jack nodded. He could see that it meant a lot for Harper to hear those words. She had probably waited for most of her life to hear them. To hear her father say that he was proud of her. He saw tears starting to form in her eyes, along with the smile on her face. She had her mother's smile, yet something made her different from her mother. Maybe it was just the fact that she was his daughter but still Jack felt like there was something more that differentiated Harper from Anna.

Harper was giving up on the whole keeping it together routine. She genuinely couldn't contain her joy any longer so she let her tears fall freely. "I can't believe I'm crying already," she said, "I told myself I'd keep if together but I just can't. It's just…I've finally found you. After all that searching, all those times I begged my mother to tell me everything she knew about you, I finally did it and part of me isn't sure that it's real but somehow I know it is." She was caught up in a flurry of emotion. It was a sort of emotion that she was unfamiliar with, a weird mixture of happiness, love, success and the smallest bit of bitterness. However that bitterness was killed when she found herself flat out sobbing in her father's arms.

"It's alright," he said, rocking her back and forth as though she was a small child again, "I won't leave you again. I'll stay right here as long as you need."

Those words sounded all too familiar. Even though she couldn't remember everything from when she was younger, she could remember a time when she was seven, hearing words that sounded all too similar. Hearing them again made her bitter, somewhat angry feelings start to rise to the surface again but she found herself almost instantly pushing them to the side. This wasn't her, she wasn't going to hold onto this grudge.

Silence had fallen, all except for the sound of Harper's sobs. The silence lasted until she finally managed to sit up and break away from Jack's embrace, "sorry about that," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. So much for looking half decent.

"It's okay," Jack assured her, looking his daughter right in the eye, "you know what? Once Ianto and Gwen are gone, how about I order some take out, we sit down and just talk about whatever."

Harper smiled, "isn't it a little late for dinner?"

"Ianto said you were standing out there for hours," Jack replied, "I get the feeling you didn't exactly stop for dinner."

"No I didn't exactly do that," Harper said.

Jack smiled and shook his head, "determined, like both your parents."

They waited around for a bit, exchanging pleasantries, discussing architecture. Well, it was Harper who did most of the talking. Jack just chimed in when he could and listened attentively to his daughter. Within a few minutes Ianto and Gwen had gone home so Jack went and ordered chinese. While they were waiting for the food to arrive they migrated down to the couch on the floor of the hub and stayed even once the food had arrived. Neither Jack nor Harper really wanted to go back up to Jack's relatively cramped office.

"So, tell me about everything I've missed in your life," Jack said. He was genuinely curious, he wished he could have been there all those years but he had to put his past mistakes behind him.

"Where do I start?" Harper said, overwhelmed, "I've already pretty much covered my academic life.." she trailed off, opening one of the many boxes in front of them. Where the hell did she start? So much had happened in fourteen years, "Well, you missed a lot of stressing over exams, a few bad breakups…Oh you missed my eighteenth when I got absolutely hammered then got in at three in the morning, apparently singing a very loud, out of tune version of 'Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen'. Mum said she tried to be mad but couldn't help but laugh cause it was just so bad."

Jack admittedly couldn't help but laugh. The father in him said he probably shouldn't be laughing but hell, if Anna had laughed it off he could too. Besides, he was no stranger to the whole getting hammered idea.

"A lot of the typical teenager stuff really," Harper continued, "And now here I am, an unemployed architecture student, living off her mother's diplomat salary," she nodded, wrapping up her extremely condensed autobiographical speech, "I'm happy enough though. I've got a nice place, good friends, I'm loving school and now I've found my father."

"Don't sell yourself short," Jack said, "once you finish architecture school you'll be making a decent salary of your own."

Harper shrugged, breaking apart her chopsticks. She genuinely had no idea why she didn't just ask for a fork. She still had no idea how to use chopsticks, even though many people had tried to teach her how. It just never worked. Yet still, she seemed to have this need to try and use them every single time, just to try and prove that she could.

"You know if you need money, you can let me know," Jack continued, "when you've lived this long, you build up a lot of savings."

"Yeah, alright," Harper responded, absent-mindedly. At this point she was too engrossed in trying to use the chopsticks. As usual it wasn't working and it probably looked ridiculous. She looked up to see her father smiling in amusement at her petty attempt, "okay so I can't use chopsticks. Do you have any forks?"

Jack got up and got Harper a fork. He watched as she took it and practically threw her chopsticks to the side before starting to devour her food. "Someone's hungry," he commented.

"Well when you've been waiting around for hours and you're pretty sure you're about to meet your father who you've been searching for, for a good fourteen years, eating doesn't exactly take priority," Harper responded, "besides, it's not like I could have stomached any food anyways. I felt like I was about to throw up as it was."

"You were that nervous about meeting me?"

Harper nodded, "yes, I was."

"And how do you feel now?"

"Glad that I waited."

There was another long pause, a pause of mutual understanding. They were both glad that they'd met today. Jack looked over at the clock, their dinner had been extremely late. He couldn't let Harper go home alone at this time of night. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her. "Hey, are you planning on going home tonight?" he asked.

Harper shrugged, "where else would I go?"

"Stay here," Jack suggested. Well, it was more of a parental suggestion, which wasn't really much of a suggestion at all but more of an assertion, "It's late and I would be an even worse father if I just let you walk home at this time of night."

Harper wasn't sure how she felt about the idea. She'd only just met him for the first time in fourteen years. Then again, he was her father and he hadn't really made it sound like she had a choice, "alright, if it'll make you fell better." Why on earth did she feel like she owed him the feeling of security? Why on earth did she owe him anything? She couldn't help but ask herself those questions but in the end she figured that she liked him well enough so for now she would oblige. It was one night, she didn't have classes tomorrow and hell maybe she'd even get a free breakfast out of it that was more than a toaster pastry and fruit loops.

The rest of the night was spent just Jack and Harper talking and eating. Telling each other about stupid things they'd done, weird things they'd seen (though that part was mostly Jack) and cracking stupid jokes. Harper was so far really enjoying hanging out with her father. They seemed to get along so well that Harper nearly forgot about all those lost years. Talking like this made it easy to forget about any bitterness that she may have had. After awhile though, Harper started to become exhausted. Jack was nice enough to let her take his bed while he slept on the couch out in the hub.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Harper asked him, "I mean, I've slept on couches before. Slept on my own a few times, mind you it's covered in blueprints most of the time."

"You've had a big day," Jack said, "you should get a good sleep."

Harper smiled, "okay, as long as you're sure."

"Trust me, I'll be fine. Don't worry." Jack assured her as he headed towards the door, "now get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Goodnight…Dad."


	3. A Potential Asset

Upon waking up, Harper experienced a mild moment of panic. It always happened when she woke up in an unfamiliar bed. However she managed to quickly recall the events of yesterday. It was real after all.

She looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It was almost eleven in the morning, she had really slept in. On the nightstand she also noticed a plate of french toast and a cup of tea with a toaster pastry on the side. She sat up and smiled. It hadn't even been twenty four hours and Jack already seemed to be spoiling her rotten. He must have really wanted to reconcile, but Harper wasn't complaining. She ate her breakfast then got up to see if she could make herself look at least semi-presentable. Afterwords she headed up to the main area of the hub.

To her surprise, the place was rather quiet. Except for that bloody pterodactyl that was flying overhead. How the hell did that get in there anyway? She figured Ianto and Gwen had to be in by now. If they weren't she wouldn't be surprised if her dad gave them the sack. However, she couldn't see neither of them. Jack was quick to notice her, "morning, Harper," he called, coming over to see her, "you sleep well?"

Harper nodded, "yeah, that bed's really comfortable" she replied, "and thanks for the breakfast by the way. The toaster pastry was a nice touch."

"All Ianto's doing," Jack admitted, "I was gonna go get you a latte and a breakfast sandwich but Ianto decided that he felt like cooking."

"I'll have to remember to thank him then," Harper noted aloud, looking around to see if Ianto was anywhere in sight, "where is he anyways?"

"I'm right here," Ianto appeared as if on queue, "and, you're welcome."

Harper nodded, acknowledging his presence.

"Well I would introduce you two but it I guess you've already met," Jack chimed in. He wondered if Harper suspected anything between him and Ianto. He wanted to tell her that they were a couple be he had no idea how she would react. He knew that it was most kids' ideal to have their parents together and he was unsure whether Harper was still stuck on that ideal or not. They had just reconnected. They had practically just met. There was no way that Jack was going to risk ruining that. He would tell her eventually, but not now.

Ianto stood there, somewhat awkwardly, "yes,we did meet" Ianto said, "I don't think I formally introduced myself though. I'm Ianto Jones, if you didn't already know."

Just then a woman, who Harper was pretty sure was Gwen, walked in, "and I'm Gwen Cooper, why're we introducing ourselves…" she cut herself off, noticing Harper, "oh hello. You're Jack's daughter right?"

Harper nodded, "I'm Harper, Harper Sylano."

Gwen looked somewhat shocked, "you're Welsh!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah I am," Harper replied, "Everyone seems surprised by it."

"Well, Jack, looks like you're surrounded by us," Gwen joked.

Jack shrugged, "guess I'll be the only one pronouncing any vowels around here."

"Oh shut up," Gwen teased, slapping Jack playfully on the arm before changing her tone, "anyways, I still can't figure out those equations that Tosh left behind. It's way beyond my level of maths."

Jack opened his mouth to speak but Harper beat him to it, "I could have a look at them," she suggested, "I don't really like maths and all but apparently you need them to be an architect so I do know them."

Gwen looked at Jack, as though she was waiting for his approval. Jack just shrugged so Gwen took Harper over to the computer, "these," Gwen said, pointing to the equations on the screen, "none of us can figure out what the bloody hell they mean, much less do anything with them."

Ah, differential calculus. Something Harper despised but had to put up with over the years.

"The only instructions I could find were these," Gwen continued, pointing to a sticky note on the top right hand corner of the computer.

Harper read it, 'dy/dx=instantanious acceleration in rift activity'. Made enough sense. Not that Harper knew anything about this 'rift' or it's 'activity' but that didn't mean she couldn't solve the equation. She took a look at the main function on the computer. It looked simple enough. Within just a few minutes, Harper had found the derivative, which they apparently needed. "Alright, here you go," she said, handing the paper with her answer on it to Gwen.

Jack came over to have a look at what his daughter had written, "nice work Harps, you might have just helped us predict when spikes in rift activity might occur."

Harper shrugged, "it might be wrong but I'm glad I could help." She then turned to look at the clock, remembering all the drafting that she had planned to do that day, "well I should get going. I've got stuff to do. Thanks for letting me stay the night and thank you, Ianto for the breakfast."

Jack stepped closer toward her, not wanting her to leave just yet. He still felt as though he had just met her and now it was as if they were about to drift apart again, "you're leaving so soon?"

"Like I said, there's a lot of stuff I have to do today," Harper replied, "it was really nice meeting you and I really want to spend more time with you so I'll be in touch, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that promise," Jack said.

"Alright dad," Harper said, hugging her father, "I'll see you later," and with that she left through the large gear door that she had come through the day before.

Jack wanted to believe that she would come back but part of him worried that she wouldn't. He didn't like that thought. He had enjoyed spending time with her the night before. Harper was definitely someone he was proud to call his daughter.

"So, you gonna get her to come work for us?" Gwen asked, pulling Jack away from his thoughts.

"Huh?" Jack responded, turning to face her.

"Well she can figure out Tosh's formulas so why not?" Gwen suggested.

Jack pondered the idea. He wasn't keen on the idea of putting his daughter out in the field, right in the middle of harm's way. However Gwen did have a point. Harper would be a valuable addition to the team. At least until they could find another techie type. It would also be a good excuse to see her often. Still, he was unsure about it, "I don't know…" was the only response that Jack had.

It was late afternoon and Harper had spent the whole day working on drafts. Her entire coffee table was covered in them by now and she was having to be careful when she took snack or tea breaks so that she didn't spill anything. She was thinking about when she would visit her father next. Maybe tomorrow after uni or even…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. Somewhat surprised, she went to open it only to find Jack standing there.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, startled. How the hell did he know where she lived? "What're you doing here? How did you find me? What am I saying? Come in. Sorry about the mess." She moved out of the way, letting her father enter the flat.

"Torchwood software," he said, answering Harper's first question, "lets us find anyone. I never used it to find you before cause I was trying to keep my distance, but now.." he trailed off, assuming that Harper got the idea. Which, of course she did.

Harper nodded slowly, admittedly she still felt a bit weird about the fact that he had found her, "so did you just really want to see me or was there something else?" she asked.

Jack walked in further, stopping just a few feet away from her, "I'd like to offer you a job," he stated, "at Torchwood."

There was a long pause before Harper could reply, "you need architects at Torchwood? Or historians? What exactly are you offering?"

"We need someone to work with all the stuff Tosh left behind before she died. The formulas, rift calculations, all that tech stuff that none of us at the hub can do." Jack explained.

Harper took a deep breath before replying. She wasn't sure how to nicely tell him that she didn't want the job. "I'm sorry Dad but I can't accept," she said, "I don't want to spend my days doing maths and all that. I don't even like maths, I just happen to be good at them. I want to be an architect and as interesting as Torchwood sounds, what you're offering just isn't right. I'm really sorry." She wasn't sure why she was being so apologetic. She really had nothing to apologize for. Hell, he was the one who hadn't been there all her life and now all of a sudden he was offering her a job. But for some reason she felt bad declining his offer.

Jack simply nodded, looking somewhat disappointed, "I understand," he said, "It's not as if I have the right to ask you anyways." He paused, glancing at the ground, then looking back up at Harper, "But if you change your mind let me know. I'll find you a place." He turned to leave but Harper stopped him.

"You don't have to leave you know," she said, "I was just about to make supper and I don't think I can eat this whole box of mac and cheese all by myself."

"You look like you're busy…"

Harper cut him off, "I've done enough for today. Please, stay and eat."

Jack didn't want to intrude but he also couldn't turn down a free meal and a chance to further reconnect with his daughter, "alright. I guess I can't say no to you."


End file.
